“Because You are with me.” — Psalm 22:4
At seven in the evening, Huey Liang finished his leftover rice and fish balls in his kitchen. Chua’s family was also having dinner in the apartment next door. Their cheerful laughter and lively conversation could be clearly heard in the silence of Huei Liang’s apartment, where he lived alone after his wife’s death. He humbled himself with his loneliness. Over the years, the sharp pain of loss has dulled and he has learned to bear it. But today, the sight of a half-empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks pierced him to the core.
Before going to sleep, he read his favorite Psalm 22. The most important words to him in this Psalm were also the shortest: “For You are with me” (v. 4). Huey Liang found special comfort not in the shepherd’s practical care for his sheep, but in his constant presence and attention to all the details of their lives (vv. 2-5). This brought peace to my heart.
Knowing that someone is around brings great comfort to lonely people. God promises His children that He will always love them (Ps. 102:17) and never leave them (Heb. 13:5). When we feel alone and forgotten, whether it’s in the kitchen at night, or on the bus on the way home from work, or even in a crowded store, let’s remember that the good Shepherd is looking at us with love. We can always confidently say: “You are with me.”
When do you usually feel lonely? What does Psalm 22 say about loneliness?
Loving God, thank you for always being with me.
Author: Karen Huang
“Because where your treasure is, there will be your heart!” — Matthew 6:21
At the end of the 18th century, a young man discovered a mysterious depression on Oak Island in Nova Scotia (province of Canada). Deciding that there are pirate treasures buried here, perhaps Captain Kid himself, he and his friends began to dig. They did not find any treasures, but the rumor about it has already taken on a life of its own. Over the centuries, many people continued to dig in this place, spending a lot of effort and money. Today, the depth of the pit is more than thirty meters.
Such obsessions indicate an emptiness in the human heart. The Bible tells of a man whose behavior also shows a similar emptiness. This man is Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha. Once Elisha refused the generous gifts of a Syrian military commander whom God had healed of leprosy. And then Gehazi came up with a trick to ask for some of the gifts for himself (2 Kings 5:22). Then, returning home, he lied to the prophet (v. 25). But Elisha knew everything. “Didn’t my heart go with you when that man turned from his wagon to meet you?” he said to Gehazi (v. 26). The deceiver got what he wanted, but lost much more (v. 27).
Jesus taught not to chase the riches of the world, but instead to lay up “treasures in heaven” (Mt. 6:20).
Let’s beware of our desires. Following Christ is the only way to fill the void in the heart.
What do you want most? What pursuits and passions failed to fill the void in your heart?
God, I surrender my desires to You. Help me to find treasures that are precious to You.
Author: Tim Gustavson
“And Israel saw the strong hand that the Lord showed in Egypt, and that people began to fear the Lord!” — Exodus 2:31 p.m
In August 2021, when Hurricane Ida hit the Louisiana coast, the seemingly impossible happened. The force of the wind turned out to be so great that the current of the mighty Mississippi River turned in the opposite direction. In the news it was called a “reverse flow”: the water flowed upwards for several hours.
According to experts, during its life cycle, a storm surge releases energy equivalent to ten thousand nuclear bombs! Such incredible power to change the flow of rivers helps me to understand the Israelites’ response to the more significant “reverse flow” described in the book of Exodus.
Escaping from the enslavers who oppressed them for many years, the Israelites came to the shore of the Red Sea. In front of them was a wide expanse of water, and behind them – an armed Egyptian army. In this hopeless situation, God did what seemed impossible. “The Lord drove the sea with a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the water parted. And the children of Israel entered the middle of the sea” (Ex. 14:21-22). Seeing such an incredible display of God’s power, the people began to fear the Lord (v. 31).
Reverent fear is a natural response of a person who has witnessed God’s power. But Israel not only feared, but also believed the Lord (v. 31).
Looking at God’s power in creation, we will also revere the Creator and believe in Him.
What manifestations of God’s power in creation have you seen? How much has it strengthened your faith?
Creator of heaven and earth, help me, looking at the amazing manifestations of Your power, to trust You more.
Author: Lisa Samra
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17
Pastor Bob suffered an injury that seriously affected his voice. This caused him to fall into a depression that lasted for fifteen years. What good is a pastor who can’t speak? He sought an answer to this question, pouring out his longing and confusion before God. “I found only one way out: to turn to the Word of God,” he recalls. Pastor Bob began to diligently study the Bible, and the more he did it, the stronger his love for God grew. “I decided to immerse myself in the Scriptures and absorb them as much as possible. After all, faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God,” he says.
These words, “faith comes from hearing”, are recorded in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans. Paul wanted all his fellow Jews to believe in Christ and be saved (Rom. 10:9). But how to believe them? There is only one way: to listen to the message about the Savior contained in God’s Word (v. 17).
Pastor Bob remains faithful to his decision. Every day he listens with his heart to what the Bible tells him about Christ. He can speak no more than an hour a day, while experiencing severe pain. But he continues to find peace and contentment in God through immersion in the Holy Scriptures. We will also believe that Christ will reveal Himself to us in our difficulties. He will strengthen our faith if we are attentive to His Word, no matter what trials come our way.
How has immersion in the Scriptures strengthened your faith? Why can we be content even if life presents difficulties?
Loving God, You give me hope in the face of pain and uncertainty. Make me the way You want me to be.
By Amy Buescher Pye
“This is a good and beautiful thing, so that brothers can live together!” — Psalm 132:1
Ten teams, each of three people, prepared for an unusual race. One participant in each team stood in the middle. His legs were tied at the ankles and knees to the legs of those who were nearby. The whistle blew and the participants headed for the finish line. Most immediately fell to the ground, unsuccessfully trying to get up. Several teams decided not to walk, but to jump. Some gave up. But one team developed a plan of action first, even though it started later, and then constantly coordinated its moves. Several times the participants stumbled, but continued to move forward persistently and as a result came first. Their willingness to coordinate every step helped them cross the finish line and win.
Life in a community of believers can sometimes be frustrating. Trying to interact with people who hold different views, we often “stomp in place”.
Apostle Peter convinces us to achieve unity through prayer, mutual acceptance and service. He calls on the readers to have “sincere love for one another” (1 Pet. 4:8), to be hospitable without grumbling and to serve one another “each with the gift he has received, as stewards of all the grace of God” (v. 10). By asking God for help in our cooperation with each other, we will be able to go our way and show the world how to live in Christian unity.
Think of a time when you had a hard time working with someone who was different from you. How has God helped you?
Almighty God, help me to interact with my brothers and sisters in joint work and learn to love as You love.
Author: Sosheel Dixon
“Pure and unblemished piety before God and the Father of this father: to look over orphans and widows in their oppression.” — James 1:27
In the summer after my sophomore year of college, a classmate of mine died unexpectedly. I saw him a few days before he died and he looked great. We were young and, as it seemed to us, in our prime. Having joined the student fraternity, we had already managed to become friends, and suddenly death…
But most of all, this sad event was remembered by me as a manifestation of the quality that James calls “godliness” (James 1:27). Student friends treated the sister of the deceased as if they were brothers. They came to her for a wedding, then, years later, came together to congratulate her on the birth of a baby. One of them even gave her a mobile phone and offered to call whenever she wanted.
True piety, according to James, means “looking over the orphans and widows in their distress” (v. 27). Although our friend’s sister was not an orphan in the literal sense of the word, she did lose a brother. New “brothers” filled the void that had formed.
And this is what all of us who want to be “doers of the word” can do (v. 22). Among other things, this fulfillment includes helping the needy (James 2:14-17). Faith in the Lord prompts us to take care of the defenseless and, with God’s help, to protect ourselves from the negative influence of the world. This is exactly the kind of godliness that Heavenly Father desires.
In which of your acquaintances have you seen “pure and unblemished piety”? What can show the sincerity of your faith?
Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see those I can help. Direct me to such people.
Author: Katara Patton
“Christ has set us free for freedom. So stand firm in it.” — Galatians 5:1
I grew up in Texas, where there are many African-American churches. Every year on June 19, they organize festive processions and picnics. But only at the age of nineteen I learned about the origin of this holiday. It began to be celebrated in 1865 when enslaved Texans learned that President Lincoln had given them their freedom by signing the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier! They continued to live in slavery because they did not know about their freedom.
You can be free, but live like a slave. In the Epistle to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote about another type of slavery – living under the oppression of religious rules. In one of the key verses of this book, he says: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Therefore, stand firm in it and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Christians were freed from ritual restrictions, such as what to eat or who to associate with. However, many of them, as before, lived as if in slavery.
Unfortunately, this can happen to us as well. But the reality is that the moment we turned to Christ, He freed us from living in fear of the many demands of the law. Freedom has been announced! Let’s live in His power!
Have you had to fall into the trap of religious rules? How did you realize your freedom in Christ?
Lord Jesus, thank you for freeing me from the burden of the law.
Author: Lisa Samra
“That is why I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth has its name.” — Ephesians 3:14-15
The garage at my parents’ house holds many memories. For example, on Saturdays, dad would roll the car out into the yard so that we could go about our business inside. My main project was the repair of a randomly found racing card. We put new wheels on it and made a plastic windshield. Then dad stood at the intersection, watching the traffic, and I drove recklessly along the road along the yard. Looking back, I realize that there was more going on in that garage than repairing an old map. There the boy’s character was formed, and the father made a lot of efforts to instill the biblical idea of God.
People were created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27-28). Raising a child by parents also originates in God, because He is the Father from whom “every family in heaven and on earth has its name” (Eph. 3:14-15). Parents imitate the Creator of all living things, creating new life in the world and taking care of children. They reveal qualities whose source is not in themselves, but in the Heavenly Father. He is the model on which we base our model of parenthood.
My dad wasn’t perfect. Like any father, he did not always follow God’s example in his treatment of me. But often he succeeded, and then I got an idea of how God preserves and directs us. Right there on the concrete garage floor repairing an old kart.
What qualities of God’s nature do good parents reflect? How can you reveal these qualities to others?
Father, help me to raise my children, reflecting before them Your beautiful features.
Author: Sheridan Voysey
? 18.06.2023 10:03 #broadcast “God’s Medicines for You” has started on the Church of God’s Glory channel | Pastor Haydarenko Hanna | 18.06.2023: https://youtu.be/YRKpVlpxUxg
“Behold, I have put My words into your mouth!” — Jeremiah 1:9
The most outstanding orators in history have often been those who tried to make positive changes through their speeches. One such person is Frederick Douglass, whose speeches on freedom and the abolition of slavery helped bring about the end of this sad phenomenon in the United States. And what would happen if he chose to remain silent? We can all use our voices to inspire and support others, but the fear of public speaking can be a major obstacle. If such fear begins to overcome us, let us turn to God, the source of heavenly wisdom and encouragement.
When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations, he immediately began to refuse: “Oh, Lord, God, I do not know how to speak, because I am still a youth” (Jer. 1:6). But the Lord did not allow Jeremiah’s fear to stand in the way of his calling to be God’s voice for his generation. Calling the prophet to trust Him and say everything He commands (v. 7), the Creator provided him with everything he needed. “Behold, I have put My words into your mouth,” He said (v. 9).
If we ask the Lord to show us how He wants to use us, He will equip us to do His will. With God’s help, we will be able to boldly raise our voice to positively influence those around us.
Were you afraid to approach people? How can you rely on God’s power and wisdom in this matter?
Heavenly Father, help me to use the power of words to influence others for their benefit.
Author: Kimya Loder (guest)
